1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an appliance for processing food products and, in particular, to a food slicer/shredder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Food processors have become an increasingly popular kitchen appliance. Prior art food processors range from the very elaborate styles and models to a more recent introduction of smaller size food processors. These smaller versions are designed to rest on the countertop with the processed food being discharged into a bowl or other container positioned adjacent the discharge outlet of the processor. Typical of these types of food processors that have been commercially available include those that have a bowl that must be locked into place and which houses a disc type cutting blade that must be inserted over a drive shaft and secured. This type of prior art processor has a cover over the bowl with a chute through which the cut food items are discharged into a receptacle. Disposed beneath the cutting blade is what is typically referred to as a slinger disc which is designed to throw the cut food through the chute into the receiving container. This design has not proven to be very efficient in that the cut food items are not necessarily thrown into the discharge chute and some of the cut food products remain in the bowl housing the cutting disc and slinger assembly. In some cases there are bowls specially designed to fit the processor so that it becomes more effective in collecting the cut food. These types of prior art processors are not easy to assemble and disassemble and have a number of pieces that must be cleaned after use including the cutting bowl.
Other prior art food processing appliances are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,635,270; 4,386,740; and 4,390,133. These processors have a generally cylindrical cutter mounted within a housing that has a chute through which food products are pressed against the cutter that is rotatably driven. The sliced or shredded food products pass into the inside of the cylindrical rotating cutter and exit through an opening in the housing. These prior patents disclose that the housing for the cutter is removably attached to another housing which contains the drive motor. The cutter housing and the cutter can thus be removed for cleaning. The processors disclosed in these patents are also countertop units and not intended to be handheld. The cutting elements of these prior art appliances are typically formed of metal. The process of forming these cutting elements is relatively expensive. In one such process, an initially flat metal blank is punched out to form cutting blades which are then sharpened. The metal blank is then rolled and welded to form the cylindrical cutting member. Then some bearing or support member must be welded at one end so that the cutting member can be connected to a driving motor. In another prior art process the metal cup is stamped from a flat blank. The cutting blades then must be formed from the inside out of the metal cup and sharpened. The amount of metal material used in these prior art assemblies and the process itself makes the assembly expensive.
The appliance disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,270 has a metal cutting member which is attached to a driving plate. Upon removal of the cutting assembly and its housing the drive plate itself must still be cleaned. Moreover, at its outer end where the food is discharged from the assembly the cutting member is unsupported. The stress of the downward pressure applied as the food products are pressed against the cutting member may cause the cutting member to pull away from the drive plate or damage or bend the drive plate and the drive shaft. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,390,133 and 4,386,740 also do not appear to specifically disclose a support surface for the discharge end of the cutter.
Moreover, the appliances disclosed in these patents do not provide any support below the cutter blade housing. The continued downward exertion of force used in introducing the food items into the processor may tend to weaken the connection between the two housings, ultimately resulting in failure or breaking of the tab structure designed to lock the housings together. These structures are also more likely to tip over in response to this downward force. In the appliances disclosed in these patents it may also be possible, either inadvertently or intentionally, to separate the cutter housing from the motor housing while the motor is running and driving the cutting member. This could result in damage to the driving connection between the motor and the cutter and could cause the user's hands or fingers to accidentally strike the moving cutter.
The present invention addresses these shortcomings and disadvantages of the prior art.